


we've got the world at our fingertips (baby, let's drive)

by sladeninstitute



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, M/M, Road Trips, kind of a pet project that might never see completion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-07
Updated: 2014-03-07
Packaged: 2018-01-14 21:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1280155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sladeninstitute/pseuds/sladeninstitute
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shore leave. Two glorious words that Jim Kirk hasn't heard in exactly six months. Upon learning of a family function that Bones has to attend in Georgia, Jim suggests that they rent a car and trek across America, stopping to see what's to be seen along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we've got the world at our fingertips (baby, let's drive)

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave any comments, concerns, or input in the comment box at the bottom of the story! Your words are welcome!

Shore leave. Two glorious words that Jim hasn't heard in exactly six months. They're finally heading back to Earth for some maintenance and Jim's just gotten the alright from Starfleet Command to authorize shore leave for everyone aboard the Enterprise , senior officers included. That means that for two glorious weeks, the Enterprise will be manned by a skeleton crew of engineers and maintenance teams while everyone else is down on the lush, blue and green planet below, sipping drinks and enjoying something other than artificial light. He's ready to jump out of his chair and head down below decks to tell Bones, but he remembers that he's quite literally in the middle of a conversation with Admiral Nogura.

“Captain Kirk?”

Jim stares blankly at the screen in front of him for a moment, pulling his mind away from his shore leave fantasies.

“Right, right. What were you saying?” He hates admitting that he hadn't been listening, but it was probably obvious on his face anyway. Nogura's thin lips turn downwards in a displeased frown, and Jim tries to pretend that he's just passed gas or something. Anything to believe that the frown isn't directed at him.

“I believe that I was asking you when I'd be seeing you in my office. There are many things that we need to discuss, Captain.”

Jim swallows. The admiral doesn't sound too thrilled, but to be fair, he never sounds thrilled. Jim can only imagine the things that the man has seen. He's heard stories, rumours, about how the once thin and freshfaced Oriental man watched an entire planet get engulfed by a star going supernova while he was on the way to coordinate a colonywide evacuation. Jim can imagine how that would take a toll on someone. Really though, he can't imagine Nogura ever being thin and freshfaced. Now he just looks slightly overweight and tired, right from his grey hair down to the frown lines on his face. Jim would be willing to bet that the rest of the man looks tired too, but he's never seen him in person. He only gets to see what the bridge's vid screen shows him.

“I would prefer that you come to my office as soon as you're planetside. Many of your reports and logs need further discussion.”

Jim nods weakly. Something tells him that he's in trouble. As if the admiral can sense the fear building up in Jim's gut, the man does something completely unprecedented. He smiles.

“You're not in trouble, Captain Kirk. I merely wanted to go over some of the finer details of some of the planets you've been to. We're looking to admit new members to the Federation and we wanted your input on which planets were worth considering.”

“Janus VI.” Jim blurts out. “The Horta. They're most deserving of Federation membership.” It's not exactly a lie. He believes that the Horta would make valuable Federation members, but it's more or less an off the top of his head answer. He's hoping that he can simply give an answer now and avoid having to spend any of his precious shore leave in an old Admiral's office.

Nogura simply looks confused.

“Janus VI is already a Federation colony, Captain. Are you saying that there are other intelligent lifeforms there that we haven't been informed of?”

Jim sighs and realizes that this isn't a conversation he can have over a vidcall. There's no escaping a trip to Nogura's office.

“I'll beam down as soon as we're in orbit and explain everything, okay?” Jim tries to filter out the exasperation that he's feeling, but it seems to him like it came through loud and clear.

“Very well, Captain Kirk. When do you expect to be in orbit?”

Jim turns his attention to his navigator, Hikaru Sulu.

“One hour and thirteen minutes until we dock at the Fleet Shipyard, Captain.”

Jim looks up at the vidscreen and Nogura nods.

“I'll see you then, Captain. Nogura out.”

With that, the vidcall ends and is replaced by the always welcome sight of stars whizzing by at warp speed. It's always soothing, and something that Jim never gets tired of. The young captain spins around in his chair and turns to Spock, his first officer.

“Spock, you have the conn.”

Spock nods and steps away from his console, coming to stand by the captain's chair.

“Might I inquire as to where you are going, Jim?”

_That's Spock. Always inquisitive_ , Jim thinks.

“I'm going below decks to speak with Doctor McCoy.” Sure, the conversation they're about to have might not be purely professional, but Spock doesn't have to know that. For all the Vulcan knows, they could be talking about requisitioning those new hypos that Bones has been going on and on about since they learned about them back on Amano II.

“Understood, Captain. I will comm you if your presence is required on the bridge again.”

“Hopefully it won't be, Spock.” Jim stands up from his chair and claps Spock on the shoulder, and then he's headed for the turbolift.

It's a short ride down to deck six, where the ship's med bay is located. Jim could make the journey from the turbolift to the actual medbay with his eyes closed. God only knows that he's had to make that journey a million times, sometimes as a patient, sometimes as a captain, and sometimes to give his boyfriend a surprise blowjob.

Right now, however, he's not making the trip for any of those reasons. He's there to speak strictly about shore leave plans. Jim's mind is already alight with a million different things that they could do on the planet. They could sit on a beach and sip those mint juleps that Bones is so fond of. They could discreetly check into one of those pleasure hotels and proceed to fuck each other senseless in front of a crowd. Jim thinks he likes the second option best. He's always had a thing for showing off, and he loves the thrill of having sex in front of others. He thinks that Bones could agree, with the proper persuasion.

Jim's turns his thoughts towards something less raunchy as he steps into the medbay, greeting nurse Chapel with a small wave and a dazzling smile.

“Hey, Christine. Bones in?”

“Jim, you should know better than to ask that. Leonard's always in. Man works himself to death, I swear.”

Jim snorts. Christine is good at hitting the nail on the head. He takes a quick glance around the bay and doesn't see his boyfriend tending to anyone.

“He in his office?”

“Yep. He's been in there for the past half hour. I think he's talking to someone. Might wanna knock before you go in.”

“Nah.” Jim never knocks, not anymore. He strides right over to Bones' closed office door and waits for the sensor to recognize him. After a half second of waiting, the door slides open and grants Jim entry.

The room is dark, and the projector high up on the wall with the door is projecting a woman's face up onto the wall behind Bones' desk. Bones himself is in his chair, talking to the woman on screen. Jim recognizes the woman immediately as Bones' grandmother, the only family that the man has left (barring Joanna, his daughter.)

If either of them have noticed Jim, they've not mentioned it. Jim simply leans up against the wall and waits for their conversation to come to an end, not wanting to interrupt.

“Yeah, yeah. I can make it down for that.” There's Bones' deep, Southern voice.

“You sure you'll be able to make it, hun?” A lighter voice, but just as richly Southern as Bones'.

“I don't see why not. Shore leave should be comin' up soon, from what I've heard. Everybody's been whisperin' 'bout it all day long.”

“You gonna bring Jim with you?”

Bones visibly shifts in his chair, getting quiet for a moment.

“Nah, don't think so. Doesn't sound like somethin' he'd much like, you know?”

Jim crosses his arms over his chest. What wouldn't he like? Does Bones not wanna take him? Curiosity flares up deep inside him, and he almost interrupts the call just to see what exactly they're talking about. Before he gets the chance, the woman on the screen speaks up.

“Well that's a cryin' shame. You know we'd love to see 'im again. If you do wind up bringin' him, nobody would complain.”

“I know, Gram.”

There's a pause, almost like the subspace transmission broke up for a second. When someone does finally speak up again, it's the woman that Bones has identified as his grandmother.

“Well, alright. I ain't got nothin' else to talk about. See you soon?”

“See you soon.”

Gram blows a kiss at the screen and Jim can almost feel Bones go red in the face.

“Love you, Leo!”

“Love you too, Gram.”

The vidcall shuts off and the lights automatically crank back up to 75%, Bones' preferred lighting setting. Bones spins around in his chair and gasps when he sees Jim leaned up against the wall.

“Shit, Jim. You just about scared me bad enough to give me a damn heart attack. How about you try knockin' next time?”

Jim can't help but chuckle.

“Sorry, sorry.” Jim pauses, debating on how to broach the subject he wants to bring up. “So. Going anywhere for shore leave?”

Bones cards a hand through his hair.

“How much of the conversation did you hear?”

Jim frowns. Everyone knows that you can't answer a question with a question, but his boyfriend seems to have done just that. He refrains from calling him out on it.

“Enough. You're going down to Georgia.” Slightly more downtrodden sounding, he continued. “And from the sound of it, you don't want me to go with you.”

Bones immediately begins to shake his head, giving Jim that look that screams “you've got it all wrong, love.”

“For someone who claims to have heard enough of the conversation, you sure as hell weren't listenin' that well.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“I never once said that I didn't want you to come with me. I just told Gram that I didn't think you'd want to come.”

Jim had heard that. He just didn't believe it. He'd heard similar things throughout his life, and they usually wound up meaning that the person just didn't want him to tag along. He was used to it, although it did hurt coming from Bones. The man that was supposed to love him and cherish him.

“Why wouldn't I want to come, Bones? You know that I adore your family. They treat me well and I charm the pants off of 'em. That's just how it goes!” Jim was starting to get himself worked up. He didn't want to spend his shore leave alone, he wanted to spend it with the man that he loved. “What's so terrible that would make me not wanna go with you?”

Bones sat there looking with his head hanging low, twiddling his thumbs.

“Leonard?”

The use of his given name seemed to snap him out of his state, and he looked up at Jim with a sorry smile on his face.

“Sorry, sorry. I was thinkin' about my daddy. It's almost been eight years. That's what I'm goin' to Georgia for. We're having a kind of get-together. It's to remember him.” Bones' lips started to tremble, but Jim could tell he was doing his best to stay together. Jim was almost taken aback by the amount of pain in the older man's eyes. “A lot of the family, they ain't forgiven me yet. I don't think they ever will. I just...don't wanna go there and deal with all the glares and the whispers and the talk about how Leonard McCoy killed his daddy.”

Those words struck Jim in the heart. He knew that even after all this time, the subject of David McCoy's death was a perpetually raw spot in Bones' heart. To hear that his family would still treat him so badly was not entirely shocking, but uncalled for.

“I'm going with you. You're gonna need someone by your side through this.”

“You really wanna go to this with me?”

“You know I do, Bones. I'd go just about anywhere with you.”

“But wouldn't you rather spend your vacation sippin' drinks on some beach, basking in the sun?” Bones seems genuinely curious, although he already knows the answer that's going to come out of Jim's mouth.

Jim comes over to the desk, taking Bones' hands in his.

“I'd rather be where you are, babe. There's no fun in sipping drinks on a beach alone, while your boyfriend's in Georgia possibly getting treated like shit by his own family.”

Bones has never been more grateful in his life.

“So when is this thing, anyway?”

Bones pulls up the interactive calendar on his desk's smart surface. He flips through the days until he gets to where he needs to be.

“Next Wednesday. The 17th.”

Jim nods, the gears in his head already turning.

“So what're you gonna do until then?”

“Dunno.” Bones shrugs.

“Well, I've got an idea for you.”

Bones raises his eyebrow. Ideas with Jim Kirk usually means something stupid, dangerous, or death inducing. His look conveys all that to Jim, and Jim just waves it away.

“Road trip.”

Bones leans back in his chair and fixes Jim with a curious stare.

“A road trip. As in drivin' a car across the country?”

“That's the generally accepted definition of road trip, Bonesy.”

“Don't road trips usually require, oh, I dunno, some sort of car ?”

“We can rent one.”

“Where from, Jim?”

“There's a place called Enterprise. They rent cars. I'm sure they'll give me a discount if I tell them that I'm captain of the USS Enterprise. ”

Bones leaned forward in his chair, looking Jim dead in the eye.

“You really wanna take a road trip? To Georgia. With me.”

Jim leans forward in his own chair, mimicking the look on Bones' face.

“I sure do. It'd be fun, Bones! Imagine it, driving across the country with the top down, wind whistling through our hair, nothing but the open road in front of us! It'd be amazing! I promise that I'm a good driver. I won't get us killed or maimed or anything that requires a lecture from you.”

Bones snorted, knowing that Jim would say just about anything to make this road trip idea a reality. Admittedly, the kid's description of a road trip did sound pretty fun. Several days with nobody but Jim to keep him company, then getting to see his family at the end. After all the time he'd spent out in deep space, it actually sounded like a godsend. He put up his hands and sighed.

“Alright. Fine. We'll take a road trip. I'm leaving it up to you to plan all this out though. I don't know the first thing about rentin' a car or packin' for a big trip. You get all that done and we'll drive across the country. Deal?”

Jim beamed, looking like Christmas had come early.

“I promise you won't regret this, Bones!”

“I had better not, or else I'm never lettin' you live this down. When are we leavin', Jim?”

Jim had his mouth open, in the process of answering when the comm unit on the wall went off.

“Bridge to Captain Kirk.” Spock's voice rang out in the tiny room, catching both Jim and Bones' attention. Jim stood up from his chair and went over to the comm, pressing the button that would allow him to speak directly with his first officer.

“Kirk to Bridge. What've you got for me, Mr. Spock?”

“We have docked at the Fleet Shipyard. Please allow me to remind you that Admiral Nogura is awaiting your presence in his office.”

Jim rolled his eyes, grateful that the Vulcan couldn't see his response. Jim might've been a newly-minted captain, but that didn't make him stupid. He could remember his own appointments. ...Most of the time.

“Thank you, Mr. Spock. Kirk out.” Jim depressed the button and heard the connection go out. From behind him came a low whistle out of Bones' mouth.

“Well shit, Jim. What'd you do to get summoned to Nogura's office?” Jim knew that voice well. It was badly-hidden concern mixed with that tone of “Goddamnit Jim, what'd you fuck up this time.” He'd heard it a great many times since he'd known Bones.

Jim turned on the spot and leveled a playful grin at Bones.

“Didn't do anything, for once! He just wants to talk to me about admitting planets into the Federation.”

Bones harumphed.

“You ain't lyin', are you?”

“No, Bones. Captain's honour.”

That seemed to convince Bones, allowing him to come back around to what they'd been talking about before they were cut off.

“So when're we leavin', Jim? Today? Tomorrow? Never?”

“I'll make you a deal. I know you wanted me to do the packing, but if you can go pack right now and meet me outside of Nogura's office in an hour, we can leave. I'll take care of renting a car.” What he really meant was that he'd get Spock to rent them a car and drop it off outside Starfleet HQ, but Bones didn't really need to know that.

Bones sighed. Somehow he'd known that he'd get roped into packing.

“Fine, fine.” He stood up from his chair and straightened out his uniform. “Now you go talk to Nogura before he gets tired of waiting on you an' you really do get in trouble.”

Bones was at Jim before he knew it, gently guiding him out of the room and into Medbay's main room.

“Now get. I mean it.”

Jim stood up on his tippy-toes to give Bones a kiss on the cheek and was gone. Bones watched him go before he turned to Chapel.

“You've got the med bay. I've got to pack for a damn road trip.”

Chapel could only smirk. How in god's name Kirk had gotten McCoy to go on a road trip, she'd never know.

– – – –

McCoy found himself outside of Nogura's office exactly an hour later, a multitude of bags spread out around his feet. He could hear the quiet rumblings of conversation on the other side of the wall, although the topic of conversation was beyond him. He just wanted it to be over. He was tired of aides and miscellaneous Starfleet personnel walking by him and sending him odd looks.

As if by magic, the door to the office slid open not minutes later, with a familiar blonde figure stepping out, although not quite out of the way of the door sensor.

“Alright, Admiral. I'm glad I was able to help you with your decision. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon.”

With that final, parting remark, Jim turned his attention to Bones and beamed.

“Bonesy! I see you got us all packed and ready to go.”

“You better have gotten the car situation under control.” The grumbled response was all that Bones had to say for the moment. Jim nodded eagerly, taking a share of the bags and pointing towards the exit.

“Grab the bags and c'mon. I'll show you our awesome ride.” To be honest, Jim had no clue what type of car awaited them. He only knew that he'd given Spock clear instructions to procure “something cool” from the car rental dealership. Looking back on it, he probably could've given the Vulcan better instructions. Did Vulcans even know what qualified as cool? Probably not, Jim mused.

As they stepped outside into the evening sun, Jim couldn't help but let his jaw drop. Leaning against a red convertible with silver detailing was Spock. When the Vulcan saw his friends coming towards him, he removed himself from the car's side and approached them with a stoic expression on his face.

“Given the parameters of finding something cool with which you could drive across the country, I believe this fits well within those criterion. Would I be correct in assuming so?”

“My god, Spock! Who knew you actually had taste. Figured all you green blooded Vulcans didn't know what cool meant.” Bones was looking past Spock to admire the car, while Jim was still in shock. It was perfect, he couldn't have asked for anything better. Truthfully, the car reminded him of the one he'd driven over a cliff back home in Iowa all those years ago. God, that car had been the height of cool.

“Yeah. Yeah...Spock, you did a good job. Great car. That is one hell of a cool car.” He was impressed, to put it simply. Spock had gone above and beyond what was expected of him. Jim briefly wondered if he could give his first officer a commendation for that.

“Thank you, Jim. I am pleased that it meets your expectations. Now, if you will excuse me, Nyota and I are waiting to start our own shore leave. We will meet you back aboard the Enterprise in exactly thirteen days and sixteen hours.” Spock tipped his head and began to walk away, to where, Jim wasn't exactly sure. When he turned to see where his friend had gone, it became clear that the Vulcan had beamed away to whereabouts unknown.

Jim took note of the fact that Bones was packing their bags into the car's trunk. While he left his boyfriend to do that, Jim went around the car and climbed into the driver's seat. The clear, rectangle of a key had been placed on the ignition panel, meaning that they were good to go as soon as Bones hopped in.

The trunk closed with a thump and Bones was in the car's passenger seat within a few moments. Jim turned to him with a grin on his face.

“You ready to go?” asked Bones.

“Let's drive.”

Jim started the car and pulled out of the parking lot as the sun sets behind them. They had the whole country at their fingertips, and Jim was determined to make this one hell of a shore leave.

**Author's Note:**

> Tags will be updated as the story progresses.


End file.
